stay
1to spend some time in a place, in a situation, with a person or group, etc.: He stayed in the army for ten years.
to continue to be as specified, as to condition or state: to stay clean.
to hold out or endure, as in a contest or task (followed by with or at): Please stay with the project as long as you can.
to keep up, as with a competitor (followed by with).
Poker. to continue in a hand by matching an ante, bet, or raise.
to stop or halt.
to pause or wait, as for a moment, before proceeding or continuing; linger or tarry.
Archaic. to cease or desist.
Archaic. to stand firm.
to stop or halt.
to hold back, detain, or restrain, as from going further.
to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).
to appease or satisfy temporarily the cravings of (the stomach, appetite, etc.).
to remain through or during (a period of time): We stayed two days in San Francisco.
to remain to the end of; remain beyond (usually followed by out).
Archaic. to await.
the act of stopping or being stopped.
a stop, halt, or pause; a standstill.
a sojourn or temporary residence: a week's stay in Miami.
Law. a stoppage or arrest of action; suspension of a judicial proceeding: The governor granted a stay of execution.
Informal. staying power; endurance.
Idioms about stay
stay the course, to persevere; endure to completion.
Origin of stay
1Words Nearby stay
Other definitions for stay (2 of 3)
a flat strip of steel, plastic, etc., used especially for stiffening corsets, collars, etc.
a long rod running between opposite walls, heads or sides of a furnace, boiler, tank, or the like, to strengthen them against internal pressures.
stays, Chiefly British. a corset.
to support, prop, or hold up (sometimes followed by up).
to sustain or strengthen mentally or spiritually.
to rest on (something, as a foundation or base) for support.
to cause something to become fixed or to rest on (a support, foundation, base, etc.)
Origin of stay
2Other definitions for stay (3 of 3)
any of various strong ropes or wires for steadying masts, funnels, etc.
to support or secure with a stay or stays: to stay a mast.
to put (a ship) on the other tack.
(of a ship) to change to the other tack.
Origin of stay
3Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use stay in a sentence
The reports illustrate relative change, not absolute visitors or duration of stay.
See how visits to retail, grocery, workplaces are trending by area with Google Mobility Reports | George Nguyen | August 27, 2020 | Search Engine LandThe package includes up to five nights of accommodation at one of MGM’s Las Vegas-based properties and comes with an “office-ready” room and an executive assistant tasked with ensuring you have “everything you need during your stay.”
Lisa Russell said her 93-year-old mother regressed physically and mentally during a nearly month-long stay in early 2020 at The Springs at Pacific Regent, located in La Jolla.
Confirmed Nursing Home Complaints Plummet During Pandemic | Jared Whitlock | August 25, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoSan Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer waded into the fray this week, by signing onto a letter along with San Jose’s mayor, urging the court to grant the stay.
Sacramento Report: San Diego Bills Survive Bad Day for Housing Proposals | Andrew Keatts and Sara Libby | August 21, 2020 | Voice of San Diego“A stay could provide an opportunity for parties to come together with state leaders to negotiate a resolution to this complex issue,” Faulconer and Liccardo wrote.
Morning Report: Throwing Cold Water on Those Sports Arena Plans | Voice of San Diego | August 20, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
Models in Israel will have to maintain a BMI of 18.5 or higher if they want to stay employed.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models | Carrie Arnold | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNey said McDonnell needs to “keep a stiff lip” and stay in close contact with family members.
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv | Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“He has to really stay on the down low, he has to make sure that he blends in,” Ney told the Beast.
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv | Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTTheir leader, Njie, still going by “Dave” during the operation, would stay a safe distance away until the State House was secure.
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country | Jacob Siegel | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTHigher courts, including the Supreme Court had refused to intercede, and the stay was to expire tonight.
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally Over | Jay Michaelson | January 5, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTHe decided not to return home directly; he wanted to go somewhere, but did not care to stay in Chicago.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxThis tiny person spent little or none of his time in the tree-tops, but chose to stay near the ground.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyIf we find him there as Rutter said, you can gamble that trouble has camped in our dooryard for a lengthy stay.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairNow that Lawrence was out of the army, he was in hopes that he would stay out, and he showed his disappointment in his face.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. DunnHe gets out and does things while these fatheads stay in quarters and untangle red tape.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
British Dictionary definitions for stay (1 of 3)
/ (steɪ) /
(intr) to continue or remain in a certain place, position, etc: to stay outside
(copula) to continue to be; remain: to stay awake
(intr often foll by at) to reside temporarily, esp as a guest: to stay at a hotel
(tr) to remain for a specified period: to stay the weekend
(intr) Scot and Southern African to reside permanently or habitually; live
archaic to stop or cause to stop
(intr) to wait, pause, or tarry
(tr) to delay or hinder
(tr)
to discontinue or suspend (a judicial proceeding)
to hold in abeyance or restrain from enforcing (an order, decree, etc)
to endure (something testing or difficult, such as a race): a horse that stays the course
(intr; usually foll by with) to keep pace (with a competitor in a race, etc)
(intr) poker to raise one's stakes enough to stay in a round
(tr) to hold back or restrain: to stay one's anger
(tr) to satisfy or appease (an appetite, etc) temporarily
(tr) archaic to quell or suppress
(intr) archaic to stand firm
stay put See put (def. 18)
the act of staying or sojourning in a place or the period during which one stays
the act of stopping or restraining or state of being stopped, etc
the suspension of a judicial proceeding, etc: stay of execution
Origin of stay
1- See also stay out
British Dictionary definitions for stay (2 of 3)
/ (steɪ) /
anything that supports or steadies, such as a prop or buttress
a thin strip of metal, plastic, bone, etc, used to stiffen corsets, etc
(often foll by up) to prop or hold
(often foll by up) to comfort or sustain
(foll by on or upon) to cause to rely or depend
Origin of stay
2- See also stays (def. 1)
British Dictionary definitions for stay (3 of 3)
/ (steɪ) /
a rope, cable, or chain, usually one of a set, used for bracing uprights, such as masts, funnels, flagpoles, chimneys, etc; guy: See also stays (def. 2), stays (def. 3)
Origin of stay
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with stay
In addition to the idioms beginning with stay
- staying power
- stay over
- stay put
- stay the course
- stay with
also see:
- here to stay
- (stay) in touch
- (stay on one's) right side
- should have stood (stayed) in bed
- stick (stay) with
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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